Leadership abounds for Broncos, and it starts with Bo Nix

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — When Bo Nix gathers his teammates in the huddle, a “>confidence flows from the rookie quarterback that his teammates sense.

“He’s really just a calming presence,” tight end Adam Trautman said. “Obviously, early on [in the season], he’s getting used to some of the game speed or play calls this or that, but he’s got very, very good control … and you can feel that in the huddle.

“… He’s been terrific, and he’s kind of someone you want to go to war with, and we all feel that way on offense.”

So, where does that come from?

As Nix noted, some of it is natural confidence — but some of it is also about being mindful that in the huddle, the other 10 players feed off the quarterback’s demeanor. This is part of why finding successful players at the position on the NFL level is so difficult. It’s not enough to possess athletic gifts and intelligence. Leadership traits matter, too. Without any one of the three, long-term viability in the highest stratum of the sport is impossible to find.

“I think it naturally happens, and it occurs, but at the same time, it’s because you prepare and you put yourself in that state, and, you don’t really have a choice,” Nix said. ” You got 10 other guys looking at you, and it’s their livelihood.

“It’s their life that, you got it literally in your hands. The ball’s being snapped to you. So it’s a pride thing. You got to take pride in the things that puts you in that position and the guys around you. You gotta have — ultimately have their respect, and you gotta know that it means a lot. And then you just let competitive nature take over, and you just go out there and do it.”

The result Sunday was what should have been a game-winning drive.

For reasons all of Broncos Country knows, it wasn’t. That’s where another aspect of a quarterback’s leadership comes into play. That manifestation is when you close ranks and stand up for those in your huddle. And that’s exactly what Bo Nix did Wednesday when asked about offensive lineman Alex Forsyth, who found himself at the point of attack in field-goal protection on the fateful blocked attempt.

“It ticks me off that people can say those things about him and not even see how he works or how he responds or how he plays,” Nix said. “And I have no doubt that Alex Forsyth’s going to respond probably better than anybody in that situation. He cares more than anybody would in that situation. And I know every single one of our team, every single guy in our locker room believes in him to move on and respond.

“And what happened to him sucks, it really does. It’s happened to many of us, and you just gotta, unfortunately get over it and you gotta find ways to move past it. And he’s mentally tough. He’s been through tougher life moments than probably any of us, and so, he knows how to handle adversity, and I’m excited to see him grow and respond through this. And I can’t imagine as much as he works throughout a week, how much more he’s going to put on himself, but I respect him greatly. I hate that he’s having to go through all this, but sometimes it’s part of the game and it is what we signed up for, but I’m happy to be on his team. I’m proud to call him a teammate, and I know he’s going to respond really well.”

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He wasn’t the only Bronco to stand up and defend Forsyth. When given the opportunity, so did fellow captains Quinn Meinerz and Wil Lutz.

Oh, and Bo Nix is the NFL Rookie of the Week. He’s the first Bronco to receive that honor since Pat Surtain II in 2021. Surtain’s working out pretty well.

Nix might be headed in that same direction. And if he flourishes long-term, it will have at least as much to do with how he leads as how he passes.